How tall is Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Kareem Abdul Jabbar's Height

7ft 1 ⅞ (218.1 cm)

Former American Basketball Player. He has been measured barefoot at over 7ft 1 several times while at Milwaukee Bucks. He said: "I was measured last September and was 7 feet 1 and five eighths. I've grown a quarter of an inch since coming into the pros. A man ought to know how tall he is.".
In 1976 he said that "I'm 7 feet 1 and 7/8th inches, anyone who says otherwise is being fallacious."

How tall is Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Photo by PR Photos
My actual height is 7-1 ⅜ and I believe people think I'm taller because I stand straight. Most big people slouch, but my father used to ... if he caught me slouching.
-- Daily News, 1969

How tall is Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Kobe Bryant & Kareem
Photo by s_bukley/BigStock.com

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Add a Comment549 comments

Average Guess (172 Votes)
7ft 1.93in (218.3cm)
Caleb 178.8cm said on 24/May/23
List of all 7'2"-listed* people who have played in the NBA/ABA:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Alexis Ajinca
Martynas Andriuskevicius
Bol Bol
Primoz Brezec
Moses Brown
Tom Burleson
James Donaldson
Ralph Drollinger
Artis Gilmore
Petur Gudmundsson
Hamed Haddadi
Thomas Hamilton
Roy Hibbert
Garth Joseph
Rich King
Luke Kornet
Luc Longley
Salah Mejri
Dikembe Mutombo
Martin Nessley
Alan Ogg
Greg Ostertag
Tom Payne
Kosta Perovic
Bruno Sundov
Cezary Trybanski
Jake Tsakalidis
Stojko Vrankovic
Luther Wright

* Most of the people on this list aren't a legit 7'2" in reality; they're just all listed by the NBA/ABA as 7'2".

Source: Click Here
Canson said on 15/May/23
@Jason Jeffers: yea but he was about as close to 7’2 peak as you could get. At worst just a hair under it
Jason Jeffers said on 12/May/23
@Canson. I firmly believe from the recent pictures of Kareem that I have studied that even at 76 yrs old, he is still 7’0.5” at the very least. Wouldn’t surprise me if he was in the top ten tallest people in the world over 75 yrs of age.
Canson said on 8/May/23
He needs a peak and a current. This is his peak but he’s not this today
Height Analyzer 2 said on 13/Apr/23
Man just say he’s 7’2, an 1/8 of a height difference is super negligible
Flashflipflop said on 10/Mar/23
Great player but was Oscar's and Magic's wingman.
Allie said on 27/Feb/23
Just under 7'2 at his peak.

Saw a few pictures of him with his three sons and he seems to tower over all three of them. Similarly, E.J Johnson (Magic Johnson's son) and Shareef O'Neal (Shaquille O'Neal's son) are several inches shorter than both of their fathers. I wonder how tall the mothers of Kareem's children were, but at the end of the day he's an extreme outlier in height (like many basketball players). A quick search claims that his parents were like a foot shorter than him. I guess it's a mystery as to why he ended up growing that tall, but regardless, he's one of the greatest basketball players imo.
Crypto139 said on 8/Feb/23
Looked shorter than his peak with LeBron last night. Unsure of how tall he is now, but certainly has shrunk a bit by now. Will give him the 7 foot 1 7/8ths for his peak though.
Mike O said on 26/Jan/23
What's amazing is not just how tall he was but how relatively proportional as well. Big head, evenly proportioned torso, arms and legs. Just an enormous human being.
Canson said on 6/Jan/23
@Daniel Lee: at his peak he may have been the solid 7’3 out of bed if not a hair over.
Daniel Lee 173 cm said on 4/Jan/23
Out of bed a hair under 7'3, maybe..a bit over it.
Daniel Lee 173 cm said on 3/Jan/23
7'2" flat at noon (peak)
Low: 7'1 5/8
Caleb 178.6cm said on 17/Aug/22
This guy definitely shrunk. I like how honest and precise he was about his peak height though.😁
Robbe said on 9/Aug/22
Looks close to 7'3 with Magic Click Here
Canson said on 18/Jul/22
@Viper: yea he should be in the conversation for sure. Of my era, it’s Jordan, Cap, Magic, and Bird. Bird May go before Magic and vice versa
Canson said on 18/Jul/22
@Shane: yea 7’0.5 for Wilt is possible. Cap was probably close to a low but he was called 7’4 a lot then listed 7’2 which was just a very small roundup and he was def nearer 7’2 than 1
Eli Shahar said on 16/Jun/22
Yeah 218 cm
Shane Gray@ said on 8/Jun/22
@Canson I think the 7'4" thing is a byproduct of all the shoe listings. This is all these guys have ever seen or known for the most part. As for Wilt, his height is interesting. We have his famous lying down measurement but what else as an adult? I can see that method as potentially being pretty inaccurate. He may not have been as tall as that measurement. Additionally, if he had been lying down for very long he would have decompressed some -- and maybe a lot -- for a guy that tall. Maybe he was actually more like 7'0 1/2" tops?
Kzns said on 26/May/22
Still 218
viper said on 31/Mar/22
He's definitely the most realistic portrayal in the Lakers TV show
nites07 said on 28/Mar/22
Peak I'd say legit 7'2" but judging by how he looked at the NBA 75th he looks about 7'0.5" tops.
Canson said on 11/Jan/22
@Ian: yea he prob measured that for years. I’d say peak height was 7’1.75 bare minimum maybe or afternoon maybe a hair under
Daniel Lee said on 30/Dec/21
@Rob

Was 7'1 3/8 his low? I would go with 7'1 3/4
Editor Rob
I suppose there is some variation with time of day and the actual measurement itself has potential for another slight fraction difference.

Maybe that's why he's given a couple of different figures.
Johnny 181-182 cm said on 19/Dec/21
@Rob how much height do you think Kareem has lost by now? Also can you make a page for Wes Unseld? He's the shortest center to ever play in the NBA and also he won an NBA title. He's listed at 6ft 7 but he claimed to be around 6ft 6.
Editor Rob
Maybe he has lost an inch now
Tunman said on 30/Nov/21
Rob isn't his 7'1 3/8" claim enough proof he isn't taller than that?I mean he was already 22 at that time,no one will gain further height at that point.He was already 7'1 in 1966 (aged 19),if he gained only 3/8"in those 3 years then it's very unlikely for him to grow a further half inch after 22.I would say he loses somewhere between 1.5 and 2" from morning to night so no wonder he might find himself significantly taller if he measured say by 11-12 am vs 4-5 pm.
Editor Rob
I think the 7/8ths isn't to be discounted
Mickie said on 12/Nov/21
His peak height is exactly as he claimed As far as NBA greatness goes MJ, Kareem, Lebron, Bird, and Wilt are my top 5 with Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon knocking on the door. Shaq, Kobe, Bill Russell, Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant, even Steph Curry now could all have good cases to be considered top 10 players all time, it's almost impossible for me to choose who I'd leave out. Giannis and Luca have a lot of potential, it will be interesting to see if either can hit that stratosphere.
Canson said on 13/Oct/21
@Daycringeothon: he may sneak over 7’2 at midday. A guy his size has a lot of height loss in him. The 7’1 7/8 is a low for him if not maybe 7’1 3/4”
Daycringeothon said on 12/Oct/21
Kareem 7’2” flat peak height seems fair enough mid-day.

Was Chuck Nevitt really over 7’4”? very skinny for his height medium wrist size= medium frame. probably was a more realistic 7’3” and change mid-day. Mark Eaton would seem the larger of the two and he claimed 7’3.75” and weighed 295 pounds when active in NBA.
Canson said on 2/Oct/21
@Vincent: I def have MJ #1. But wilt Kareem Bird and Magic round out a possible 5. But LeBron and Kobe fit in there too
Vincent Caleb said on 1/Oct/21
@Viper
Those are my exact top 3
Wilt, Jordan, and Kareem

I sometimes try to make the argument for Wilt as #1…
Canson said on 26/Sep/21
@Viper and JAWilder: minimum 3rd greatest I agree. Then Magic and Bird would fall next group
Jawilder said on 26/Sep/21
I have LeBron at second. Wilt can honestly be anywhere from 2-6. You can certainly make the case for him as second greatest ever.
viper said on 25/Sep/21
I have him 3rd greatest as well.

Jordan and Wilt ahead of him
Robbe said on 25/Sep/21
Looks 7'1 with Howard Click Here
Jawilder said on 23/Sep/21
As listed. Third greatest player of all time imo.
Tall Sam said on 20/Sep/21
His claim is pretty believable and specific but doubt there’s any way he still stands at his peak height although I don’t think he’s lost much he might be 7 foot or a tad under.
Canson said on 24/Aug/21
@Fried Chicken: he mentioned he grew 1/4” at one stage and then again. He usually looked 7’2” though. I could see 7’1.75”’peak. Most players like Dr J and others thought he was taller than he was. They guessed 7’4” because he had superb posture
FriedChicken said on 22/Aug/21
He claimed 7'1 and 3/8 at age 22. Thats pretty specific and precise. I wonder if there was an error in the measurements.
Canson said on 25/Jul/21
@Duhon: not sure if KAJ was at his peak height then. I doubt he was. Howard looks probably 6’9”.
Duhon said on 22/Jul/21
This is a photo from 2012 how tall does Dwight Howard look next to Kareem here? Click Here
Canson said on 20/Jul/21
@Shane: yea Kareem looks the full 7’2”. That said 7’1.75 or 7’1 7/8 would only come afternoon to evening
Sjane6 said on 10/Jul/21
Looking at him with Shaq in 2004, he couldn't have lost much by then. Tiny bit closer to camera but very negligible. I can believe the full 7'2" for Kareem mid day afternoon. If not, very near it for sure.
Canson said on 18/Jun/21
@Junior: tough to tell but I would expect 7’1 3/4 to be a worst case. Maybe 7’1 7/8”. I wonder how tall Wilt was? Was he 7’1 1/16 or 7’0.5? I think he fell under 7’1” as well
Chris Junior Hernandez said on 15/Jun/21
"My actual height is 7-1 ⅜ and I believe people think I'm taller because I stand straight. Most big people slouch, but my father used to ... if he caught me slouching.
-- Daily News, 1969"


Lol in 1969 Kareem already turns 22 and claim his atual was 216.85cm. Is he telling the truth or it was atually a worst low measurement while the 7'1 7/8 was atually a morning measurement which is quite confuse..
Robbe said on 15/Jun/21
With 7ft listed Lauri Markkanen, picture is from 2017 Click Here
Chris Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 14/Apr/21
2.155m tall i rule it out for Kareem current height and his being this height since 2014-2015.
recapa said on 27/Feb/21
@how tall does his son look to you he is listed at 6ft5.5(197cm).Click Here might be the biggest difference about a
tall father and a shorter son that if,ever seen.
Editor Rob
seems about a head shorter there, so I'm not convinced he's over 6ft 5 there.
Crypto139 said on 19/Jan/21
I will give him his 7 foot 1 and 7/8ths of an inch.
Canson said on 15/Nov/20
It’s funny that some former players and commentators today (Dr J etc) and Skiuup Bayless (as Shannon Sharpe calls him) say he’s taller than he is. I’ve heard up to 7’4 for him. I think that should be proof that he’s at least near the 7’2 mark being he also used his barefoot height whereas Dr J was a weak 6’6” guy (197cm range guy) listed at 6’7”
FriedChicken said on 10/Nov/20
7'1 7/8 prime
7'0 3/4 current
FriedChicken said on 31/Oct/20
I would assume 7'0.5" for an older Wilt. 7'1" in his prime of course since that's been confirmed.
Canson said on 27/Oct/20
@Duhon: I wonder if Wilt had lost some height by then.
Duhon said on 23/Oct/20
A 50 something Wilt next to a 40 something Kareem, with a 30 something Magic in between Click Here
Canson said on 19/Oct/20
Canson said on 18/Oct/20
@Editor Rob: which do you believe? 7’1 7/8 or 7’1 3/8? I see he’s claimed both now. Along with 5/8. I would say the former looks more accurate but it could mean others aren’t as tall as listed. Not sure if he grew as much or if it’s morning evening
Editor Rob
The quote I added from 1969 actually ties into what he said subsequently about growing 1/4 inch, or at least measuring 7ft 1 5/8ths, from the 7ft 1 3/8ths he said before.

I think he might have got 7/8ths another time and then went with that mark...to me, seems honest about height, and true about standing tall making him seem taller.

Agreed. That’s why I get guessed taller than 6’4” all the time even though I’m around 1/4” over the mark. But as for KAJ he could’ve measured 7’1 7/8 a little earlier in the day. But I’ve always had him as a peak 7’1.75 guy or near that mark. It’s tricky with someone his size because he loses more than the avg person
Editor Rob
Of course he might not have actually grown like he thought...different time of day or measuring guys that tall can throw in small fraction differences quite easily.
Canson said on 18/Oct/20
@Editor Rob: which do you believe? 7’1 7/8 or 7’1 3/8? I see he’s claimed both now. Along with 5/8. I would say the former looks more accurate but it could mean others aren’t as tall as listed. Not sure if he grew as much or if it’s morning evening
Editor Rob
The quote I added from 1969 actually ties into what he said subsequently about growing 1/4 inch, or at least measuring 7ft 1 5/8ths, from the 7ft 1 3/8ths he said before.

I think he might have got 7/8ths another time and then went with that mark...to me, seems honest about height, and true about standing tall making him seem taller.
Christian 6'5 3/8" said on 20/Sep/20
@K.A
Don't think he's the tallest 70+ year old on earth, but maybe in America he's within the top 10. Most people that height don't live that long.
Canson said on 14/Sep/20
@Danimal: he’s lost height but not sure about only being 7’ today. He still looked around 7’1 next to Magic in their appearance together maybe a year ago
Danimal 176.7cm said on 13/Sep/20
Guanzo said on 17/Oct/16
With 7ft Andrew Bynum

Click Here

First of all, this post was from 4 years ago, but I wanted to let the original poster know that Kareem was wearing very flat dress shoes and leaning his, while Andrew was wearing thick basketball shoes (giving him at least a 1" shoe advantage) and he's standing straighter than Kareem. We also don't know what year this picture was taken.
Danimal 176.7cm said on 13/Sep/20
Canson said on 9/Feb/20
He was easily this height 7’1 7/8, at his normal low peak. Rob could easily give him 7’2” flat as that is easily his lunchtime height. Today, he’s clearly lost height. He mentioned that he had on Keeping up with the Kardashians. How much is debatable. I’d say he is 7’0-7’1 today. Could mean 7’0.5-7’1 range now

I don't give him over a flat 7'0" today. His posture has gotten pretty bad.
Danimal 176.7cm said on 13/Sep/20
Jean214 said on 15/Mar/20
7'0 7/8 (215.6) Today
7'1 7/8 (218.1) Peak

He's well into his 70's now. He's lost more than only 1". He also has a bit of a hunched/curved upper back/neck. I'd say he's lost about 2" since his prime. He's not over a flat 7'0" today.
Danimal 176.7cm said on 13/Sep/20
FriedChicken said on 3/Jul/20
He needs a current and peak listing now. He's pretty old. This listing for peak is pretty accurate because that's literally what he measured at. But nowadays I say he's 7'0.5 - 7'0.75

He's well into his 70's now. He's lost more than only 1". He also has a bit of a hunched/curved upper back/neck. I'd say he's lost about 2" since his prime.
Danimal 176.7cm said on 13/Sep/20
6'4'' Guy! said on 19/Aug/20
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal in 2004. Click Here

Shaq was never over a flat 7'0" barefoot.
Canson said on 4/Sep/20
Kareem was favored in the pic but still at least 1.5 if not closer to 2” taller
6'4'' Guy! said on 19/Aug/20
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal in 2004. Click Here
Canson said on 16/Jul/20
@Hanov: I can see 7’1.75 for his peak afternoon measurement. That’s 1/8 lower but his listed height is reasonable imho
FriedChicken said on 3/Jul/20
He needs a current and peak listing now. He's pretty old. This listing for peak is pretty accurate because that's literally what he measured at. But nowadays I say he's 7'0.5 - 7'0.75
Canson said on 3/Jul/20
@Hanov: his peak was only measured at 7’1 7/8 and we don’t know if that was an afternoon measurement
Chris Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 22/May/20
Bill Walton def lost more height earlier than Kareem but funny is that Walton is 5 years younger than Kareem. Before Kareem lost anything there is 3" between him and Walton and there is a bit over 2" difference from their most earlier peak difference and now they're back to square at 2" apart. Lol..
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 19/Mar/20
Rob, what would you say he is currently?
Editor Rob
An inch maybe lost.
Canson said on 17/Mar/20
@Dream: Lol. Cromwell was def taller peak than Robbins. Cromwell was taller than Theler too
Dream said on 16/Mar/20
@Melosucks

Well, coming from a guy, who thinks Tim Robbins is over six foot five, I'd say you'll need your eyes check.

Bo Burnham looked taller than an current 6'5.5" James Cromwell, with Nicholas Braun. Btw, an old James Cromwell looked an easy inch taller than Tim Robbins, who you said is over six foot five in person. LOL!

Click Here

So, tell me. How is an old 6'5.5" guy, taller than 6'6", again? especially going by the top of their heads, there's no doubt an old 6'5.5" is taller than Tim Robbins, unless you're going to be bias again, and insist Tim Robbins is taller than a balding James Cromwell, then there's not much I can do for you.

James Cromwell isn't under 6'5", today. He looked a littler taller than Kobe Bryant, with Michael Clarke Duncan. So 6'5" at worst.


As for Kareem, I think Kareem could easily claim 7'2" and there's no issue. Truthfully, at 7'1 7/8", just claim 7'2". No one is going to worry about anything hyper specific, so long as you're good!
Jean214 said on 15/Mar/20
7'0 7/8 (215.6) Today
7'1 7/8 (218.1) Peak
Canson said on 26/Feb/20
@Junior: I think minimum the full inch from his peak.
Chris Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 15/Feb/20
I still think he lost a full inch max and min 3/4 also loosing some posture sometimes only look like a flat 7'0.
Canson said on 9/Feb/20
He was easily this height 7’1 7/8, at his normal low peak. Rob could easily give him 7’2” flat as that is easily his lunchtime height. Today, he’s clearly lost height. He mentioned that he had on Keeping up with the Kardashians. How much is debatable. I’d say he is 7’0-7’1 today. Could mean 7’0.5-7’1 range now
Canson said on 24/Jan/20
@Roderick: he basically was 7’2 peak. Not sure how tall he is today. He said on keeping up with the Kardashians that he’s lost height. I’d guess between 7’0-7’1 today
Roderick said on 3/Jan/20
Honest dude, surprised he didnt say 7'2"
Chris Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 18/Nov/19
Weak 7'2 peak and weak 7'1 now isn't a probelm. Shaq is probably close to 7'0.
208.4 cm 6'10" 1/16 Asian guy said on 16/Oct/19
I think we should respect Mr. Jabbar’s height announcement. If he said that he is 7'1" 7/8, then he should be.
Roderick said on 24/Sep/19
Lmao who votes over 7'2"
MarkJack said on 30/Aug/19
Excellent shape,looks and physical condition for his height and age.
Chris Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 5/Aug/19
215.6cm now and 218.1cm peak.
Canson said on 8/Jul/19
He’s not still almost 7’2”. He even admitted on tv that he lost height. 7’1 7/8 peak, or 7’1 3/4 worst case today he’s 7’0.5 tops
Arslan 6'10 210 CM said on 7/Jul/19
I feel like he is still 7’1 7/8ths tbh
George Kaufman said on 3/Apr/19
7'1.75 peak, 7'0.5 now
Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 2/Mar/19
@K.A 188 That 218cm figure was over 10 years ago. Today he is lucky if he hits 7'0.75" on a lowest measurement.
Shashank-6'3 3/8 said on 16/Jan/19
@Rob
How much would have lost by now?
Editor Rob
he could have lost an inch or so, which at his age would be less than expected
Mickie said on 6/Jan/19
Michael said on 28/Feb/16
Pretty tall and verry good, it is sad he retired.

---

Lol I mean, he had to eventually. The man around 70 years old.
Ian C. said on 14/Dec/18
Amazingly durable, which is not an adjective I associate with great height. Apparently he is the all-time record holder in games played. And now he's 71, which has got to be superannuated for a man that tall. He must have an extraordinarily healthy and powerful heart.
michael loughrie said on 8/Dec/18
Listed height: 7' 2"
Real height: 7' 1" 7/8

Lmao man
Canson said on 10/Oct/18
Kareem was taller than Wilt at his peak. Wilt was probably a shade under 7’1 while Kareem was a shade under 7’2” as stated
Canson said on 19/Sep/18
@Junior: I couldn’t see any higher than maybe 7’0.75 max. 7’0.5 looks good tho
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 12/Sep/18
Wow a weak 7ft2
Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 10/Sep/18
@jonas More he look 7'2 and over to you he isn't even measure a full 7'2. He is a weak 7'2 peak and a weak 7'1 now. Shaq supposed to be 6'11 1/2 which he claim on Howard Stern show he is 6'11. Kareem nowadays seem to look about an inch top on Shaq so 7'0 1/2 at best today like Canson mention.
jonas said on 2/Sep/18
Should have prime height at over 7"2, propotions of 7"4 . Bit current height is under
Canson said on 20/Aug/18
@Junior: hard to tell if Shaq lost height today. But KAJ peak 7’1.75 I could see or 7’1 5/8 at a low worst case and Shaq looked 7’0” most of the time but wouldn’t rule out 6’11.75 at a low
Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 16/Aug/18
@Canson Lets believe Shaq is 7'0. I would give 7'0.75" for Kareem.
Canson said on 31/Jul/18
@Junior: I estimate his peak to be close to listed here but today 7’0.5
Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 30/Jul/18
When hunching a little now next to a good posture Shaq he look shorter. But standing straight look to be 3/4" max taller than Shaq.
Canson said on 22/Jul/18
@Shane: you bring up a great point as always my man! The 7 1 5:8 could be the low.
Canson said on 5/Jul/18
@Shane: yea pretty much exactly what you said. I would say he’s around 7’2”. The 7’1 7/8 looks to me like it would be around a low for him as he looked an honest 7’2” guy when he played. 7’1 7/8 imho could dip to 7’1.75 but no lower (based on his appearance).
Shane said on 4/Jul/18
@Canson why do you say 7'1 3/4" at a low barefoot? I'm not debating it my friend but he was measured at 7'1 5/8" and apparently 7'1 7/8". Are you saying you know he was measured at night or something? I'm just curious how you arrived at that for a low. Either way I have no doubt at some time in day he was right at basically 7'2" barefoot which is a rarity for modern day basketball listings.
Canson said on 30/Jun/18
@Junior: agreed no less than maybe 7’1.75 at a low peak he was actually almost a legit 7’2” barefoot
Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 28/Jun/18
218cm peak
215.5cm now
Canson said on 19/Jun/18
As listed at his peak. Maybe 7’1.75 at a low but genuinely looked 7’2” so the 7/8 is possible
Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 28/May/18
He def lost an inch but he also lost posture can look as low as 6'11 plus when he did some natural hunch movement.
Zampo said on 24/May/18
For those interested, on an episode on Keep Up With The Kardashians, when he was asked about his height. He admitted he had shrunken, unfortunately can't remember the exact episode or words he used, this was within the last 8 months or so.
Bard said on 22/May/18
Agreed Junior, he was absolutely towered by Tacko Fall, probably lost an inch by now.
Junior Hernandez 1990 said on 11/May/18
7 foot and 7/8th tall now.
VicLions said on 6/May/18
He was 7ft2 at his peak, around the same height as Richard Kiel. However during the 1974 Finals, some announcer said he was 7ft3 5/8 so its confusing.
Canson said on 3/May/18
As listed at his peak
Timothy said on 21/Apr/18
I'm 6'0.5 and it looks like i would probably come under his shoulders! Wow, super tall guy, easily 7'2
World Citizen said on 15/Feb/18
Hey Rob do you think he lost height?
Editor Rob
It is probably likely by now, but not a huge amount, maybe an inch is possible.
Canson said on 2/Feb/18
Agree with you on both Junior!
Junior Hernandez said on 2/Feb/18
Rob, Kareem should officially have a peak 7'1 7/8 and 7'1 1/8 current height. Just highlight that one of NBA legend Dr.J (Julius Erving) should deserved a page.
Canson said on 20/Jan/18
This is right On the nose. He looks 7’2” peak so he likely isn’t too much lower than his claim. Low would’ve have been under maybe 7’1.75 at his peak and would likely be 7’3” out of bed
ALEXANDRE ALVES BR said on 5/Jan/18
say its inseam and 51 inches but I think it should be less how you think rob ???
Dude 173 cm said on 4/Jan/18
Yes I was wrong, he wasn't something over 7'2"
Bard said on 3/Jan/18
Barely any height loss at 70 years old. Fortunately his lack of hair prevents him from looking that old, imagine seeing a 7'+ guy with poor posture and a head of white hair! Awe-inspiring to say the least.
Canson said on 2/Jan/18
Peak 7’1 3/4-7’2

Today 7’1-7’1.5
Dude 173 cm said on 17/Dec/17
Peak 7'2.25
Nowadays 7'1.5-7'1.75 (217.5 cm)
Dude 173 cm said on 17/Dec/17
At 70 years the votes also are of his current height, Rob I think you should make a peak/current.
Canson said on 4/Dec/17
Kareem was for sure near 7’2” peak if not full on
Canson said on 22/Nov/17
@Greek: magic may still be more like 200cm or even a flat 6’7”. Doubt peak that he was less than 201. 6’6.5 seems a bit low for him imho
Greek said on 20/Nov/17
Kareem isn't more than 7ft with 6ft9 dwight howard and 6ft6.5 magic johnson . I'll give him current 7ft . Peak 7ft1 .
VicLions said on 19/Nov/17
I would say Kareem at his peak is 7ft1.8. Around the same peak height as Richard Kiel. I could tell because he appears taller than Wilt Chamberlain and significantly taller than Shaq. Also to if you see the 1969 image with his folks he clearly towers over his tall parents, and that is a 5ft11 mother, and 6ft3 father.
Matthew Robinson said on 26/Oct/17
I fully believe his claim of being just under 7'2".
Canson said on 25/Oct/17
@Junior: yep anyone who is over I’d say 6’8” I’d add to giant. I’d call it similar myself to how you did

6’3-6’5.5/6’6: very tall
6’6-6’8/6’8.5: extremely tall
6’8.5+: giant
7’0” is a whole different class lol he was a big giant still is

I agree on MJ. I’d prob say 194/195 range
Junior said on 25/Oct/17
@Canson

I would say anyone over 6'8-6'9 is a Giant not just tall. Kareem is definitely a big giant who ever play in NBA court. MJ i believe is a strong 194.5-195cm and haven't loss height yet.
Canson said on 24/Oct/17
@Junior: he’s a tall dude. I’d say peak he edges MJ by 24-24.5cm. MJ peak (morning height 6’5.25/afternoon or evening 6’4.5)
Junior said on 23/Oct/17
@bez said on 22/Oct/17

It's more like 20cm than 15cm. Kareem still look at least 8" top on 6'5 MJ but both did not really stand straight up, the problem is MJ may not even be a full 6'5 guy in real. I doubt Kareem had lost about an inch now compare to peak. I guesstimate MJ was a full 6'4.75" and Kareem maybe 7'1.25" when stand tall.

Click Here:
bez said on 22/Oct/17
I saw a picture of him next to Jordan and he looked only 15 cm more but he is old now.
Canson said on 30/Aug/17
@Tyson: or could be that other claims are less honest
Canson said on 12/Aug/17
I can see his claim as maybe his lowest height. He looked about 7'2" during his career
Tyson said on 5/Aug/17
His claimed probably was after of a hard training or taking that reference because he sounds very honest in his claim.
Canson said on 5/Aug/17
I doubt Kareem has lost considerable height given that he still maintains a similar difference with Magic Johnson in pics as he did when he played. Sure maybe he's 7'1.5 but I doubt any less today
Tyson said on 4/Aug/17
Kareem with Bill Walton

Click Here
Click Here

Separating these photos, I should say Kareem was 219.5 cm and now 217.5 cm
Canson said on 28/Jul/17
@Robert Broome: interesting. I had a debate on Shaq's page with a few people one of which says Ewing is 6'11-11.5". I knew he wasn't as I know people who went to Georgetown with him (same time he was there) and have always heard he was actually about 6'10". I saw you said 6'9" and change which is believable as well. This after I saw an article where Alonzo mourning is said to only be 6'8" range. I agree with all the other estimates that Walton is 6'11" and KAJ is about 7'2 (he claimed 7'1 5/8 and 7/8).
Robert Broome said on 25/Jul/17
Kareem is a good 7'2" even now. He's got a few inches on Walton. I met Bill Walton at the Basketball Hall of Fame. I'm 6'5" and he absolutely dwarfed me. Bill looked taller than Patrick Ewing who was my neighbor until recently.
Canson said on 23/Jul/17
He claimed 7'1 7/8 which is surely a reality for him as he looked every bit of 7'2" at his peak. Eaton looked more likely 7'3" peak
Tyson said on 22/Jul/17
@Even

When said that?
Guanzo said on 19/Jul/17
Mark Eaton with 6'11'' Bill Walton

Click Here

Eaton easy 7'4'' tops
Canson said on 21/Jun/17
I agree SJH Eaton was 7'3" peak
Logan said on 12/Jun/17
He is 7,2 maybe 7,2.75 because he looks 1-2 inches taller then Wilt but looking at it closely you can see he is 7,2 and 247 lbs
Canson said on 7/Jun/17
Mark Eaton was definitely 7'3 peak I doubt 7'4" but he wasn't 7'1" either. I agree with Duhon
Duhon said on 6/Jun/17
Guanzo said on 4/Jun/17
Mark Eaton with 7'2 listed Greg Ostertag and 7'1 listed Rudy Gobert

Click Here


According to draftexpress Ostertag was 7' barefoot and Gobert measured in at 7'0.5". Mark is older now but could have stood 7'3" barefoot I think.
Guanzo said on 4/Jun/17
Mark Eaton with 7'2 listed Greg Ostertag and 7'1 listed Rudy Gobert

Click Here
Canson said on 1/Jun/17
@Mathew Robinson: maybe he was. But I don't take claims very seriously either although for him he may really have been as Kareem was also listed at his barefoot height rounded up. As was Shawn Bradley and Gheorge Muresan. All I can say is I have seen muresan in person and have no idea how tall he is other than to say he is easily over a foot taller than me.
Matthew Robinson said on 29/May/17
Eaton Claimed to be 7'3.75" barefoot.
Logan said on 29/May/17
I think 7,2 looking at pictures Shaq which is 7,1 Kareem looks taller so 7,2.
Canson said on 6/May/17
7'1 7/8 like he said makes him practically a legit 7'2
Canson said on 24/Apr/17
I think Ewing prime was 6'10. Shaq was closer to 7'0" if anything 6'11.75 maybe not much lower
Anton Williams said on 16/Apr/17
I think Shaw's 6'11 and Ewing bout 6'10
Canson said on 1/Apr/17
@Ker: Eaton at 7'4" is debatable. I'd have said 7'3" which I thought actually was his barefoot height same as Rik Smits
Ker said on 30/Mar/17
@ S.J.H No doubt Eaton is 7'4. Dude is really tall.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 28/Mar/17
I would have gone with 7ft1¾
Canson said on 27/Mar/17
@Duhon: Walton as a strong 6'11" maybe even a 6'11.5 guy I totally agree with you on
Canson said on 25/Mar/17
@Duhon: you may be right. Dwight looks a full 6'9" by Kareem or Shaq and Dream has him by a little
Duhon said on 24/Mar/17
Seeing how Hakeem stands next to Dwight now Click Here Click Here. I can imagine he was at least 6'10" when drafted. There's no question he's taller than Dwight.
Canson said on 23/Mar/17
@SJH: Ewing was more like 6'10" prime. Broome said 6'9" and change today on Jillette's page but that's possible height loss. Hakeem maybe a big 6'9". HE is a tad taller than howard in some pics like Duhon said but I've seen others where they're closer. I saw the article with elie saying dream was 6'9" but I'd take that more a 6'9.5 guy. He looked shorter than Kevin Willis and Otis Thorpe did imho
Duhon said on 22/Mar/17
Ewing was arguably 6'11" in his prime at least an inch taller than admitted 6'10" Hakeem Olajuwon who does indeed look 6'10" next to 6'9" Dwight Howard. This is an image of Eaton next to Bill Walton who most consider a strong 6'11"er. Click Here
S.J.H said on 21/Mar/17
Click Here just a random post. 6'9 patrick ewing with mark eaton who claim 7'4 strange that eaton doesn't look any near 7'4 maybe he claim it with shoes (both not standing straight)
Duhon said on 15/Mar/17
Click Here
Canson said on 5/Mar/17
@S.J.H: I think prime he was close to 7'2" barefoot.
joe### said on 3/Jan/17
Canson
yes solid 7´2 peak
S.J.H
It actually look a bit smaller on the current days, but still ends up with 7'1
joe### said on 28/Nov/16
Legitimate 7'2 peak
mrtguy said on 10/Nov/16
S.J.H said on 6/Nov/16
No he didn't over 218cm and with magic johnson thats a max 218cm not more. 7'1.5 nowadays a shout

Yes he did and Magic Johnson is 6'9'' with shoes and Kareem easily looks 6 inches taller
S.J.H said on 6/Nov/16
No he didn't over 218cm and with magic johnson thats a max 218cm not more. 7'1.5 nowadays a shout
mrtguy said on 27/Oct/16
Kareem always looked taller than his claim
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 27/Oct/16
Rob, why 7ft2 if he claimed shorter?
Editor Rob
I put him on that mark because the guess only really looks right with 1/4 inches.
Chaz said on 3/Oct/16
Jason said on 30/Sep/19,Chris Greener seemed nearer 7'3''.

Here he is with 7'7.5''Nail Fingelton Click Here
Jason said on 30/Sep/16
Chad, I did actually meet Chris Greener in 2003 at 'The Giant Bradley Day' in Market Weighton, Yorkshire. I'm 5'11.5" barefoot and I was about an inch below his shoulder. I had my Grandad with me who was 5'5" and just about reached his chest. He was equally blown away by Chris's size. Although a true giant of a man and if he was a true 7'6" I didn't expect to virtually reach his shoulder meaning an 18"+ height difference from just below shoulder to top of head. He seemed nearer 7'3" obviously he's been proven taller so maybe it was just bad posture.
mrtguy said on 25/Sep/16
Kareem has the build of an 8ft guy
jessman said on 23/Sep/16
I met Chris Greener in 2003 when he opened a store in my town. The tallest person I had seen in person prior to this was a man who looked about 7 feet tall....based on the extra height he had over 6'8 guys I knew. While I already knew Chris Greener's height before I met him (from old editions of Guinness Book of Records), seeing him in person was freaky. He made the 7ft guy look relatively short. Made me feel tiny. If i hadn't known who he was and was told he was 8ft, I wouldn't have doubted it. His height was beyond comprehension. Impossible to even guess. It was around midday when I met him. No photo unfortunately. I reckon when it comes to guessing people's heights, i'm fairly accurate for those in the 5ft to 7ft range. Anything outside of this and i'm rubbish.
Editor Rob
the further away from your own eyelevel, the harder it can become...especially outlying heights.
Jason said on 21/Sep/16
Rob, a question and point of interest for you. Don't know if you recall Chris Greener (sadly passed away last year). He was Britain's tallest man for around 40 yrs until Neil Fingleton took the title. He was supposedly 7'6.25" tall. However he was measured on Guinness World Records presented by Ian Wright in 1999 in front of a studio audience. It was in the evening. He was measured at 7'4.25"
There was a pause and then the guy that measured him says 'this means his average height is 7'6.25". I've thought all these years to average that he would have had to have been 7'8.25" out of bed meaning a 4" loss. I don't for one minute think that would have been so. He was 55 yrs old at the time might have lost an inch or so. What's your thoughts on this Rob?
Editor Rob
yes I believe Chris would have lost a bit of height by then.
Wallace said on 1/Sep/16
No questioning this. Seen him up close and he's a giant. At least seven two and made me look like an infant
mrtguy said on 28/Aug/16
Rob, If you skim and scan through this article you find a quote and will you possibly add it??
Click Here
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 27/Aug/16
Take him at his word.
Canson said on 19/Aug/16
@Leonardo: he put estimates for all the players though. Some right some way off. Like guards (Steph curry) losing 3cm centers losing 2
Leonardo said on 28/Jul/16
@Dawkins

Good joke
Dawkins said on 15/Jul/16
220 cm out of bed, 218 cm at night.
Canson said on 9/Jul/16
He still has a good amount on Magic and Wilkes in the Byron Scott press conference from 2014. Maybe down to 7'1 but can see him being a guy who woke up over 7'3 in his prime and was 7'1 7/8 maybe mid to late afternoon (normal daily loss) before compression kicked in. He always looked around a solid 7'2 esp with the Artis Gilmores and Mark Eatons of the world
Canson said on 29/Jun/16
He still looks at least 7'1 today in his 70s
mrtguy said on 25/Jun/16
Rob, what do you think the female equivalent height for Kareem 6'9''??
Editor Rob
6ft 8-9 range yes.
James said on 8/Jun/16
@Barry You are being fallacious
Canson said on 26/May/16
No arguments here. His listing is very accurate for his prime. No questioning he's a legit 7'2 absolutely no less than 7'1 7/8 he claimed he measured
mrtguy said on 13/May/16
Rob, I searched some few quotes from Kareem Abdul Jabbar:
"I've decided to come out with the truth. I am not tall" (time article source)
"Although I've been claiming to be 7'2" for many decades, the truth is that I'm 5'8"."
mrtguy said on 6/May/16
Rob, do you believe Kareem would have easily been 7'4'' in his prime out of bed ??
Editor Rob
shrinking 2 inches is very possible for him, so near that range I'd think possible.
:D said on 19/Apr/16
When he was on Jimmy Fallon he still looked 7'1+.
Johno said on 18/Apr/16
@MrTguy, that is second tallest man in the World and is around 8'1.
Captain Baskets said on 15/Apr/16
Kareem could pass as 7'3 easily
S.J.H said on 30/Mar/16
I would say kareem was 7-1.5 (217cm) nowadays same height as kristaps porzingis current height, both slight taller than roy hibbert who look more like 7'1.25 and aside 7'3 listed Arvydas Sabonis was more in the big 7'2 range with kristaps porzingis
mrtguy said on 9/Feb/16
Rob, the basketball player in # 14 stands at 7'2'' (Kareem's height), how tall do you think #40 stands? Click Here
Editor Rob
he might be slightly nearer cameraman so adding a little, but could be 9-10 inches taller
Duhon said on 2/Feb/16
Height comparison of Shaq with Kareem and Wilt among others Click Here
mrtguy said on 31/Jan/16
Kareem is at least 1.5'' taller than Shaq probably even 2'' is possible.
Barry said on 31/Jan/16
He's 7 foot 1
Andrew M said on 27/Jan/16
By all accounts he's also a very fast man, too. When he filmed the final fight of "Game of Death" with Bruce Lee, he said they had to slow things down as the camera wasn't picking everything up!
mrtguy said on 8/Jan/16
How much height do you think Kareem can lose in a day?
Canson said on 21/Dec/15
Chris: all the heights you listed are their listed heights in shoes and some even more. Do you add shoes into your measurements? Just some constructive criticism and Im not trying to sound rude because I don't know you, but you're coming across as envious here and you are upgrading people and making comments like "Big men downplay their height"? This type of statement and your insistence that listed heights in shoes are true heights makes you sound like you are jealous and are insecure about your own height.
Chris said on 17/Dec/15
This site seems to be an obsession to prove that people are shorter than they are.

"Kareem is actually 7'1 as Magic Johnson is actually only 6'7. And you know Magic is 6'7 as Jordan is actually only 6'4. And you know Jordan is 6'4 as Arnold Schwarznegger is actually only 5'10"

When the truth is that Magic actually is 6'9, Jordan actually is 6'6, Arnold actually is 6'1 and Kareem genuinely is 7'2+
Canson said on 16/Dec/15
Rob,

I didn't know about that. If that's the case the 7'1 he is listed is prob right and meaning Kareem is 7'2 like listed
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 15/Dec/15
Kareem has said in a past interview that his dad was 6ft 3 and his mom about 6ft . It's obvious that a very tall would come,but i dont know a 7ft 2
mrtguy said on 12/Dec/15
Rob, you really think Sultan has a foot on this guy?
Editor Rob
close to it. Sultan has a long head.
Canson said on 11/Dec/15
I agree with Rob. quite possibly what Rob has him at now which makes him 7'3 in shoes but not barefoot!!!! He didn't have a significant advantage on wilt, either. Was an inch or inch and a half tops. There is a pic of them in warm up gear on the Internet. Wilt also measured himself laying down which makes him really 7' and change standing and not over 7'1 like he claims. And Cap Looks it next to 6'5-6'6 Jamal Wilkes and 6'7 Magic Johnson.
Editor Rob
there was a few articles in newspaper archives from back in his early playing days showing Wilt being measured, with the Physician standing on a chair and values between 7ft 1 and 2 being given.

I don't understand why journalist who is there for the story and the physician would be making up values.
Chris said on 8/Dec/15
You pay too much attention to their quotes. Big men often play down their height when they're playing. It's the way the league works.

Look at pictures of Kareem right now. Aged 70+. He TOWERS over even the biggest NBA players. I saw a picture of him with Mutumbo recently. He's at least 2 inches taller than him.

In his playing days, look at pictures of him with Wilt Chamberlain. He's about 3 inches taller.

If you assume Mutumbo is 7'1. And Wilt was 7 feet. Kareen is at least 7'3 even right now.
pablo77bar(184cm) said on 7/Dec/15
@Editor Rob
So you should give also to EVERYONE the claim don't you think ? ;
The fact that his claim is very precise doens't mean that he said the truth.
Editor Rob
in this case, that's an actual measurement he had done.
jasperwazup said on 6/Dec/15
Kareem's spine must have stretched him out to 7'3''-7'3.5'' morning height at his peak when active on Los Angeles Lakers. I'd bet Kareem is still 7'3'' morning height. 7'2''-7'3'' in shoes.
Chris said on 28/Nov/15
Just look at pictures of Kareem with any other big man. He's quite a bit taller than Wilt Chamberlain, Shaq, Roy Hibbert etc.

Look at him stood next to Wilt in pictures. He's at least 2 inches taller than him! Looks more like 3 inches.

Forget the 1960s. I think Kareem is at least 7'2 right now. In the 60s I bet he was 7'4. A lot of players lie about their heights. As they don't want to be typecast as a freak
Chris said on 28/Nov/15
He's taller than 7'1. He's quite a bit taller than Shaq and Roy Hibbert even now, in his early 70s.

Kareems huge. Look at pictures of him with Magic Johnson. He makes him look like a child!

I think Kareem is at least 7'2 right now. Then take into account most people lose 1-2 inches in height as they age. Maybe even more.

I think when Kareem was playing he was 7'3 or 7'4
Duhon said on 27/Nov/15
I'm quite sure Hibbert is at least 7' barefoot. Although short of his 7'2" listing.
Joe said on 3/Nov/15
Kareem looks taller than 7'2''-listed Roy Hibbert, despite his age and worse posture: Click Here

But Hibbert doesn't look as tall as 7'0.5'' Rudy Gobert (Hibbert never got measured for the combine). I'd be curious to see Gobert and Kareem next to each other, as Gobert seems to be the tallest NBA player today and also the only legit barefoot 7-footer in the game today. It's possible Gobert grew to 7'1'' or 7'1.5'' -- he towers over everyone.
piero said on 26/Sep/15
Imho his height listing is in his barefeet for real, in shoes he is atleast 7'3'' and half...impressive
GP said on 25/Jul/15
Rob, how much height do you think he has lost?
Editor Rob
seems to have held up pretty well for his height/age, maybe only an inch.
Tarinator said on 23/Jul/15
He can probably cross 221 cm in the morning. But anyone 201 cm or more is extremely tall. Seeing Alberto Del Rio (a solid 6'2" guy) compared to Rob Paul, I can probably guess a guy in the 6'8 range would put things to scale when compared with Kareem. A guy who is 6'5 (196 cm) would probably look how a 5'8" guy would look like compared to someone who is 196 cm when next to Kareem.
Rifle said on 13/May/15
Rob,
How tall do you think Bill Russel is in this pic with
Ben Wallace( who is definitely not 6'9" barefoot).
Russel said in an 1955 interview that he was
6'9.66 inches tall.
BTW as Russel is 79 in this pic he may have
shrunk a bit.
Rob,
How tall do you think Bill Russel is in this pic with
Ben Wallace( who is definitely not 6'9" barefoot).
Russel said in an 1955 interview that he was
6'9.66 inches tall.
BTW as Russel is 79 in this pic he may have
shrunk a bit.

Click Here
Editor Rob
there looks 2, maybe up to 2.5 inches difference between them.
J.Lee said on 12/Feb/15
ROb you used .875. Would like you to try to be that precise with other celbrities
Editor Rob
Kareem did give some accurate fractions...although you could probably argue that the fractions themselves could be plus or minus another fraction when measuring a man that tall.
me said on 1/Feb/15
Julius Erving said on more than 1 occasion that Kareem was more like 7'3" or 4" than 7'2".
Editor Rob
I think the 2 quotes from Kareem say a lot - he knows how much he was measured at.
codtask said on 30/Jan/15
218cm is 7'2
james said on 19/Jan/15
With shoes on he stood 7'2
Michael Sowell said on 8/Dec/14
To Henry,

While Kareem is indeed taller than Shaq, you have to keep two things in mind in that photograph. First, Shaq is behind Kareem so that will make him appear smaller. Also, Shaq is leaning into Kareem and is not standing completely straight.
Lulu said on 28/Oct/14
K A-J Is a great person to many communities. I am 65 inches high and he is miles in giving so therefore, this is a silly - goodbye and good luck.
Alex 6'0 said on 14/Aug/14
7/1 5/8 adding 1/4 inch is 7'1 7/8. Legit 7'2 guy he was
KROC said on 2/Jun/14
Kareem has never seen 7'3 sorry. I talked to Artis Gilmore, an old time basketball player, a couple of years ago. Artis was and still is 7'2. From what he told me, when him Kareem were in their prime they were the exact same height. Wilt(Chamberlain) was also around this height. Kareem has lost a bit, he's down to 7'1.
Clay said on 2/Jun/14
jim says on 19/Oct/12
he should be close to 7 ft 5 since shaq is 7 ft 1
Click Here

Thats a pretty bad angle. It's an inch between them.
Alex 6ft 0 said on 5/Apr/14
So he would be 7'2 then growing the 1/4 inch. He did look 3 inches taller than Shaq but he was closer to the camera and picture was in his favor. In reality they're more like an inch apart I would think
Editor Rob
the measurement for this guy was 7ft 1 3/8ths and then he is saying he grew a 1/4 inch and 7ft 1 5/8ths.

Actually measuring him though I think is a trickier thing, I suppose the margin of error is big, I remember the picture of him against the wall with the physician standing on a chair and holding something above his head.
Lillo thomas said on 27/Feb/14
Kareem Abdul jabbar can look 7'3 next to other nba players.
Joe said on 15/Sep/13
I would suspect that taller men lose MORE height than shorter men. However, it's probably not as noticeable. I mean, who can tell the difference between 7'1'' and 6'11''?
Mike said on 10/Aug/13
I saw him recently from about 100 feet away and he looked towering even at his current age. Easily over 7 feet even now. Very tall men like him don't generally seem to lose as much height as other men. When you look at NBA old-timers they mostly seem pretty close to their playing height, even Bill Russell. I guess they are often have physically slightly stronger bone structure which is how they became so tall to begin with.
Xhavier said on 16/Apr/13
As a further note: Manute Bol, the 7ft 6.75in centre, had warm up pants with a
50 inch inseam. Now that's a leggy man!
Xhavier said on 16/Apr/13
Click Here


At the website above it says Kareem had a 51 inch inseam.
Drummer777 said on 31/Mar/13
Kareem is 7'1, Wilt Chamberlain 6'11.....
Jeff said on 27/Jan/13
Note to height enthusiasts: typical shoe height is 1 1/4" aka 1.25" aka one and a quarter inches. (Everyone here knows that shoes add height; I'm just trying to help give a rough quantification of that boost. A lot of NBA players listed heights include shoes and round up, and end up ~1.5 inches to their barefoot heights. But 1.25 seems to be the best and most consistent "boost" number.) The way you can get this estimate is by looking at modern combine numbers. There is some variation in shoe height, but the vast bulk is almost exactly 1 1/4".

After reading all of this, I'm thinking that Kareem's barefoot height was at least just a hair under 7'2", but with shoes his height was a couple hairs over 7'3". This would make him shorter than Sampson, but taller than the typical "seven footer." And helps explain that his height differential with Magic and Drexler suggests more than 7'2". Maybe Kareem was even taller, but compared to the typical hight listing in the NBA (Jordan 6'6", Magic 6'8" or 6'9", LeBron 6'8"), Kareem's NBA listed height would have been comparatively more accurate at least at 7'3".
Arch Stanton said on 2/Dec/12
Have you seen the movie he was in with Bruce Lee? His inseams look like 50 inches!! He rather reminds me of a stick insect giant in one of the old Nintendo games I played as a kid in it! I could buy as high as 7 ft 3 peak, he looked it. Also looked taller than 7 ft 1 next to Mamun.
Duhon said on 25/Oct/12
he should be close to 7 ft 5 since shaq is 7 ft 1
Click Here

No, you have to take into account shaq's lean. Shaq was measured barefoot 7'1", yet it's obvious kareem still has more than .625" on him. Kareem is as legit 7'2" as there is.
jim said on 19/Oct/12
he should be close to 7 ft 5 since shaq is 7 ft 1
Click Here
RP said on 15/Oct/12
Kareem once stated in an interview in the late 80's during the Lakers Finals matchup with the Pistons that he continued to grow into his late 20's. And that thinks to the stretching of yoga for years, that he indeed was almost 7'3" at one point. He said just a hair under 7'3". He's own words!!!
Duhon said on 16/Sep/12
What is to say he didn't grow another quarter of an inch or so after 22 though, putting him at roughly 7'2"? You're assuming a very linear growth pattern for man with a very atypical height.

I wouldn't be arguing this if kareem appeared a weak 7'2" in photos but he doesn't. Like i said he appears a VERY strong 7'2" and if his height was not well known, would probably be estimated at 7'3" by a lot of people, as he often is in photo comparisons posted on this site.
RoelC said on 16/Sep/12
Duhon says on 9/Sep/12
As most people not only estimate him at 7'2" but a very strong 7'2" even into later age. I for one don't find it hard to believe a man already standing over 7 feet could have grown several more cm's in his early twenties.

Duhon, Kareem's growth basically stopped by the time he was measured at the age of 22. He only grew a quarter of an inch between the age of 19 and 22. He was already over 7ft tall when he was 15.
RisingForce said on 14/Sep/12
jtm, Wade's measurement was officially documented by the NBA at the pre-draft camp. Kareem's was unofficial. They're not comparable at all.
Duhon said on 9/Sep/12
@ jtm, It's not that they don't but that it most likely does not reflect his final height for most of his career and maybe into today. It is far from impossible that even at the age he was measured at he could have still grew somewhat to reach a full 7'2" or more.

As most people not only estimate him at 7'2" but a very strong 7'2" even into later age. I for one don't find it hard to believe a man already standing over 7 feet could have grown several more cm's in his early twenties.
jtm said on 9/Sep/12
if people don't want to believe he was measured at this height then why believe the 6'3.75 measurement for wade?
RisingForce said on 8/Sep/12
Yeah, Vegas, assuming Dwight never grew past his 6'9" flat measurement at 18 years old, Kareem is still easily clearing 7'1" there and closer to 7'2" with Dwight a bit closer to the camera and with better posture than Kareem.

In fact, I'd say a 65 year old Kareem is still likely around 5 inches taller than Dwight. I still think Kareem was at least a legit 7'2", and there are two possibilities, imo. That Kareem was even taller than his 7'2" listing and/or he has not really lost any height.

Bill Russell is 13 years older than Kareem and whenever I see him next to current players, he still looks the 6'9 5/8" he was when he was younger. I think people forget examples like this. There's an average for how much height someone would have lost by their ages. About 1" at Kareem's age, and 2"+ at Russell's age, but clearly these 2 have not lost as much as the average. Just like guys such as Clint Eastwood lose well over the average. There are no guarantees when it comes to height loss. With guys like Clint losing so much over the average, there have to be others losing significantly less to make the average what it is.
Vegas said on 7/Sep/12
dwight howard was measured 6'9 barefoot as a teen, looks to have grown since then, whether he has or not kareem has lost little or no height at 65 years of age https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A15eiOxCMAAvIdT.jpg:large
6'10" Dude said on 16/Jun/12
When I was at basketball camp back in the early '70's Kutchers in the catskills. I was 6'8" then I played with Wilt and Lew not Kareem yet. Wilt was not shorter nor taller then Alcinder. They towered over me AND Moses Malone who was a legit 6'10" then he was a junior in high school I laways said Wilt was 7'3" as well as Jabbar....Maybe less when they aged. I saw Wilt after he had retired in San Diego on the beach playing volley ball and in '77 and had reached my current height of 6'10". My buddies couldn't believe how much taller Wilt was than I, at least 4 inches according to them. My height was officially measured for clothing and also by a certified measuring instrument calibrated by the government.
Clay said on 13/Dec/11
Kareem is a complete a**hole in real life according to Adam Carolla (Joe Rogan podcast).

Did he have an attitude with you Mamun?
george555 said on 7/Dec/11
Kareem is at least 7'3-I have seen photos of him compared with Magic (6'9) and Clyde Drexler (6'6.75)
RisingForce said on 12/Nov/11
Came across this interesting when searching for more information about his measurement. Not related to the measurement, but it shows evidence of Kareem looking over 7'2". Not sure how accurate this guy's estimates are on the photos, but interesting nonetheless.

Kareem with 6'7" listed Clyde Drexler- Click Here

Compared with how Hakeem Olajuwon looks with Drexler(listed at 7'0" but supposedly only 6'10"-6'11")- Click Here

Kareem and Magic Johnson- Click Here

Found these on this page- Click Here

Photos aren't completely accurate and I don't know how accurate that guy's method is with the pixels, but the difference looks huge between Kareem and Magic/Drexler.
Mamun said on 8/Nov/11
He is taller ! That's how I saw him .

Regards

SUPERMUN
RisingForce said on 8/Nov/11
Oh, I thought Kareem was saying he was measured 7'1 5/8" and then grew a quarter of an inch. Well, then that does make the 7'1 5/8" measurement look legitimate. He can definitely look taller, though.
Big Show said on 7/Nov/11
RisingForce, if you read the article you just posted, Kareem claims he was measured at 7'1 5/8", not 7'1 7/8". When he was playing basketball for UCLA he was listed at 7'1 3/8", and that was before he became pro. So when he says he grew a quarter of an inch since become pro, he's talking about those 2/8 of an inch, which is exactly a quarter of an inch.

Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films.

Other vital statistics like weight or shoe size measurements have been sourced from newspapers, books, resumes or social media.

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